Monday, November 26, 2007

CAPBOR ANNOUNCES ITS HOLIDAY AIRLINE PROGRAM “WHO’S NAUGHTY AND NICE WITH THE AIRLINES”Putting the Integrity, Dignity and Wellbeing back in Flying

New York, NY – Today Kate Hanni, founder of the Coalition for an Airline Passengers’ Bill of Rights, made the following statement; “We advocate putting the integrity, dignity and wellbeing back in air travel. And to do this we are introducing our four point plan:

· We will be manning a 24/7 toll-free hotline (1-877-FLYERS6) to provide a free service offering hotel, flight status and alternatives, car rental and weather information (among other things) for stranded travelers.· Our website is being upgraded to allow consumers to post their airline service issues along with airline responses where applicable.· Coalition members will positioned in major airports during the holidays to distribute Coalition brochures that contain useful information for passengers experiencing extended delays, bumpings, and other airline related problems. · Tis the holiday season, and what would the holidays be without presents? The Coalition is offering a Christmas Prize Stocking Stuffer of Cold Hard Cash for the Best, most dramatic Stranding Video. Video’s must be turned in by January 5th, First Prize will be for the best, most dramatic video and will fetch $500.00 cash prize…not flight vouchers. Second prize will be $250.00 cash prize…third prize will be $100.00 and the contest ends January 5th 2008. · Anonymous Tip Line for Employees of Airlines who are have any concerns for Passenger Safety, Security, Deceptive or unfair management practices, baggage issues, anything they’d like to report. Simply call our hotline with a blocked caller ID and tell us our story!

Coalition for an Airline Passengers' Bill of Rights has 21,000 members and has been in force since Feb. 10, 2007. www.flyersrights.org or 1-877-FLYERS6 for our full time manned hotline beginning the day before Thanksgiving. Kate Hanni is the Founder she may be reached by cell phone at (707) 337-0328. USPIRG, Public Citizen, ACAP, Public Interest Research Group all support the Airline Passengers' Bill of Rights.

Services Offered on our hotline:

Give information in real time internet sources (for example weather) and reasonably predict your flight optionsWe will e-mail your family or business associates and let them know where you areTurn off your cell phone and conserve energy3 hours is the time at which we call media, period. They decide if it’s news.Rental car informationHotel informationGet media to your airport if you are stuck on the tarmacGive you straight answers on Chronically Delayed FlightsAdvice on how to get a refundMake sure if you go to get a refund that your incident is coded correctlyWe will document with all issues: baggage – frequent flyer miles – ground stops- delays – strandings - ###

www.flyersrights.org

Intention of this blog

We are commited to solutions for promoting airline passenger policies that forward first and foremost the safety of all passengers while not imposing unrealistic economic burdens that adversely affect airline profitability or create exhorbitant ticket price increases.

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Proposed Airline Passengers' Bill of Rights

All American air carriers shall abide by the following standards to ensure the safety, security and comfort of their passengers:

Establish procedures to respond to all passenger complaints within 24 hours and with appropriate resolution within 2 weeks.

Notify passengers within ten minutes of a delay of known diversions, delays and cancellations via airport overhead announcement, on aircraft announcement, and posting on airport television monitors.

Establish procedures for returning passengers to terminal gate when delays occur so that no plane sits on the tarmac for longer than three hours without connecting to a gate.

Provide for the essential needs of passengers during air- or ground-based delays of longer than 3 hours, including food, water, sanitary facilities, and access to medical attention.

Provide for the needs of disabled, elderly and special needs passengers by establishing procedures for assisting with the moving and retrieving of baggage, and the moving of passengers from one area of airport to another at all times by airline personnel.

Publish and update monthly on the company’s public web site a list of chronically delayed flights, meaning those flight delayed thirty minutes or more, at least forty percent of the time, during a single month.

Compensate “bumped” passengers or passengers delayed due to flight cancellations or postponements of over 12 hours by refund of 150% of ticket price.

The formal implementation of a Passenger Review Committee, made up of non-airline executives and employees but rather passengers and consumers – that would have the formal ability to review and investigate complaints.

Make lowest fare information, schedules and itineraries, cancellation policies and frequent flyer program requirements available in an easily accessed location and updated in real-time.

Ensure that baggage is handled without delay or injury; if baggage is lost or misplaced, the airline shall notify customer of baggage status within 12 hours and provide compensation equal to current market value of baggage and its contents.

Require that these rights apply equally to all airline code-share partners including international partners.